This recap of the Apple TV+ series Criminal Record season 1, episode 1, “Emergency Caller,” contains significant spoilers.
The Criminal Record episode “Emergency Caller” is an unnerving criminal tale that does a wonderful job of keeping the plot shrouded in mystery for the audience. The series was created by writer/director Paul Rutman (Five Days, Indian Summers, and The Deep) and follows two characters on a collision course to expose or hide the truth.
Those are DCI Daniel Hegarty and DS June Lenker. Things come to a head when an emergency operator notifies Lenker of a tragic phone call. What appears to be a young anonymous woman’s boyfriend is trying to kill her because he let his secret slip—he got away with murder, and someone else is serving time in prison for the crime.
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Apple TV+’s Criminal Record Season 1 Episode 1 Recap: Who is DS June Lenker?
Detective Sergeant June Lenker (Cush Jumbo) and her partner, Leo (Stephen Campbell Moore), are raising their son, Jacob (Jordan A. Nash). She is a respected member of the police force who has to deal with constant inappropriate comments that have to do with being female and race.
After receiving a phone call from the emergency operator, she accessed surveillance footage of the phone booth where the anonymous call was made. June questioned the emergency worker to see if it was possibly a hoax. However, they are steadfast in their assertion that the call was genuine. The claims by the caller sound like murder in the area of Adelaide Burrowes.
Additional research reveals that Errol Mathis is serving time for her murder. Could this be the case the caller was talking about? June updates her boss and wants to contact the lead detective on the murder. DCI Roy Chambers, who tries to swerve her away from the case, says to email the DCI to cover herself professionally. June refuses and heads over to DCI Daniel Hegarty’s office.
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Who is DCI Daniel Hegarty?
Detective Chief Inspector Daniel Hegarty (Peter Capaldi) moonlights as a rideshare driver at the beginning of the episode. He is currently driving around a shady criminal type who obviously has money based on the age and beauty of his date. The passenger asks Hegarty some questions about his profession, which leads to a story about a grizzly murder in the neighborhood.
Is this the murder of Adelaide Burrowes? It may be because June arrives at Hegarty’s office. He is awfully dismissive of June’s concerns. Hegarty is very cool under pressure. Finally, he politely dismisses June because he outranks her and adds that send an email next time. Clearly, he was given a heads-up by June’s supervisor.
After a visit from a detective, Daniel is spooked a bit despite his cool and calm demeanor. He visits one of his former offices with Tony, who is a wheelchair user. Daniel continues to be unnerving, visiting shadowy characters. Daniel orders his former underling to cover his back. Why would a supervisor continue to warn people about a bad case?
Especially where the wrong man is in prison for murder?
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Criminal Record’s Ending Explained: Who Kills Maria De Souza?
Criminal Record ends its pilot with June locating the caller, who her abusive boyfriend then kills. Her name is Maria De Souza, and she has again called the emergency hotline. The call is transferred to June. She is hiding in the bathroom. Maria’s boyfriend is trying to break the door down. The police are 18 minutes away. Maria cannot escape because they live on the eighth floor.
June tells Maria to grab a toothbrush or keys. If her boyfriend enters, she should then poke him in the face and then runs. The phone goes dead—June races to the address given to her by the hotline worker. As June runs towards the apartment building, a woman falls from an eighth-floor window. Maria is killed instantly.
June gets up and runs towards the apartment building. We presume to arrest Maria’s boyfriend, who most likely threw her out the window.
What did you think of Criminal Record Season 1 Episode 1? Comment below.
You can watch this series with a subscription to Apple TV+.
Grade: 8/10
